ROH_DC_Resource_Book_2018-19_MR

ROYAL OPERA HOUSE
DESIGN
CHALLENGE
(SECONDARY)
TEACHER
RESOURCE
BOOK

CONTENTS
03 Introduction
10 Discover the Piece
16 Interpret the Story
20 Explore the World
24 Play with Ideas
28 Select and Refine
32 Make it Happen
37 Project Summary
INTRODUCTION
Before you start the Design Challenge (Secondary) project, use the resources in this section to
introduce the Royal Opera House, The Royal Ballet, the roles of the Set Designer and Costume
Designer, and the design brief.
Welcome to Design Challenge
The Royal Opera House’s prestigious annual
Design Challenge competition is aimed at the
next generation of aspiring set and costume
designers and makers. The programme
provides students with a real practical insight
into opera and ballet, the world-class Covent
Garden stage and the creative processes
behind performance.
Taking part in Design Challenge will help
develop students’ skillset and extend their
learning from educational settings to a
professional context, encouraging them to
open their eyes to the skills required for a
career in backstage theatre crafts.
The Design Challenge project can be delivered
at 3 levels- Further Education, Secondary and
Primary. Design Challenge (Secondary) is for
GCSE students of Art, Craft & Design, Product
Design, Design & Technology and Textiles,
and the project can be used as a mock exam
module in your school setting.
All participating schools will have the
opportunity to submit their shortlisted
students’ work to the Royal Opera House for
judging in the Design Challenge competition.
Royal Opera House: Design Challenge 2018/19 (Secondary) 3

The Process
Students that take part in Design
Challenge (Secondary) will follow either
the Costume Design Pathway or the Set
Design Pathway. This resource book will
take you through the six fundamental
stages of designing for opera and ballet:
Each of the six stages has a number
of activities, videos and resources that
can be found in this book. Different
institutions will have different time frames
to complete the project in, and therefore
we advise that you map the project out
against your awarding body’s assessment
objectives and your timetable.
We suggest that you aim to use your
lesson times for the creative, practical
exercises. Many of the research activities,
supported by video resources, can be
set for homework. You may wish to
plan in discussion time at the start of
each lesson to recap and reflect on the
self-led activities.
l Discover the Piece
l Interpret the Story
l Explore the World
l Play with Ideas
l Select and Refine
l Make it Happen
Project Timeline
Thursday 13 September 2018:
Design Challenge (Secondary) CPD
September – February 2019:
Project Delivery in School
Thursday 14 February 2019:
Deadline for Finalists
Online Submission
Friday 1 March 2019:
Design Challenge
Winners Announcement
Thursday 23 March 2019:
Winners Day at Royal Opera House:
Romeo and Juliet Schools Matinee
The Challenge
At the start of the project, you will
set your students the brief with
either the Set Design or the Costume
Design letter from Kevin O’Hare.
Example letters on pages 5 and 6
Dear Designer,
My name is Kevin O’Hare and I am the Director of The Royal Ballet.
Thank you for taking on my challenge to design a setting for Romeo and
Juliet. Please read my design brief carefully and make sure you understand
what you need to do to get started with the challenge.
Set Design Brief
1. Produce a portfolio (or sketchbook) showing your initial ideas on the
themes and background of Romeo and Juliet. Apply this research into a final
design concept for the whole production with an outline and artist drawing
of each setting, one of which you will choose to produce as a model box.
Your research should show your personal – as well as artistic – response to
the themes and context of the ballet, and should communicate set design
ideas for a production to be staged at the Royal Opera House. I will be very
interested to understand the reasons for your design choices
2. Construct a detailed model box to demonstrate your final design for one
setting. You can choose whether you would like to produce this in a 1:50, 1:75
or 1:100 scale – model box templates can be downloaded here. Your final
design should be for one setting within the narrative of the ballet.
You will need to complete both parts 1 and 2 of the challenge.
I look forward to seeing your designs- remember, it’s really important to have
done your research, and to try out lots of ideas before you decide on what
your final design will look like- your portfolio is every bit as important as your
finished model box.
The very best of luck to you!
Yours sincerely,
Kevin O’Hare
4
Royal Opera House: Design Challenge 2018/19 (Secondary)
Royal Opera House: Design Challenge 2018/19 (Secondary) 5

Dear Designer,
My name is Kevin O’Hare and I am the Director of The Royal Ballet.
Thank you for taking on my challenge to design costumes for Romeo and
Juliet. Please read my design brief carefully and make sure you understand
what you need to do to get started with the challenge.
Costume Design Brief
1. Produce a portfolio (or sketchbook) that shows initial ideas on the themes
and background of Romeo and Juliet. Explore a range of initial ideas before
producing final sketches of costume designs for three characters, and then
select one of these to construct. Your research should show your personal –
as well as artistic – response to the themes and context of the ballet.
2. Construct a costume, or a section of a costume, that could be worn by one
of these characters in a scene. Your final design may be delivered as a
full-size or a quarter-size garment on a model, or could be a section of the
garment such as a sleeve, cuff or accessory. You should also explain why you
have chosen this scene and how your costume relates to the character in that
scene.
You will need to complete both parts 1 and 2 of the challenge.
I look forward to seeing your designs- remember, it’s really important to have
done your research and to try out lots of ideas before you decide on what
your final design will look like- your portfolio is every bit as important as your
finished garment.
The very best of luck to you!
Yours sincerely,
Kevin O’Hare
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House aims to enrich people’s
lives through opera and ballet. Home to two of
the world’s great artistic companies – The Royal
Opera and The Royal Ballet, performing with
the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House – we
seek to always be accessible and engaging, to
develop audiences across the UK and to break
new ground in the presentation of lyric theatre.
The Royal Opera House is committed to
enabling as many people as possible to
experience and enjoy world-class ballet. Each
Season more than 740,000 people attend
performances at the Royal Opera House; 33,000
people participate in Learning and Participation
events ranging from Monday Moves for blind
and partially sighted people to Chance to Dance
for talented children from diverse backgrounds.
Many hundreds of thousands across the UK and
overseas tune in to BBC radio and television
broadcasts; more than 47,000 attend our free
outdoor BP Big Screens – live relays from the
Royal Opera House; and a further 730,000
have been able to watch our productions in
cinemas worldwide.
The Royal Ballet
The Royal Ballet is one of the great ballet
companies of the world. Under the leadership
of Director Kevin O’Hare, grand balletic
tradition and an illustrious heritage are united
with innovation, daring and exceptional
standards of artistry, creativity and stagecraft
to produce supreme theatre. It is a beacon in
the cultural life of Britain and a driving force
behind the development of ballet as an art
form. From The Royal Ballet’s base at the Royal
Opera House in London’s Covent Garden,
today’s most dynamic and versatile dancers
come together with a world-class orchestra
and leading choreographers, composers,
conductors, designers and creative teams to
share an awe-inspiring theatrical experience
with diverse audiences worldwide. The
Company’s commitment to enriching people’s
lives through ballet is reflected in the deep
relationships it forges through digital and
learning platforms and international touring. The
extensive repertory of The Royal Ballet follows
a unique trajectory from 19th century classics
to the singular legacy of works by Founder
Choreographer Frederick Ashton and Principal
Choreographer Kenneth MacMillan and the
compelling new canon of work by Resident
Choreographer Wayne McGregor, Artistic
Associate Christopher Wheeldon and Artist in
Residence Liam Scarlett. Along with innovative
commissions and choreographic initiatives by
The Royal Ballet Studio Programme and strong
links with The Royal Ballet School, the Company
continues to refresh and surprise.
6
Royal Opera House: Design Challenge 2018/19 (Secondary)
Royal Opera House: Design Challenge 2018/19 (Secondary) 7

ACTIVITY 1: The Role of a Designer
Before your students get started on researching the Royal Opera House, The Royal Ballet and
Romeo and Juliet, it is important that they understand their role as a Designer of set or costume.
You should show them both of these videos:
ROH Design Challenge: Set Design film
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUyzdZrQ-vM&feature=youtu.be
Washington National Opera: Costume Design film
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD6485D6kbA
Reflection Questions:
l What is the Royal Opera House?
l What is ballet?
l What can you find out about the history of ballet?
l What do you think Set Design/Costume Design means?
l What is a model box? Why do designers make a model box?
l How would a Director and Designer work together?
You may wish to brainstorm these questions quickly as a class, for you to
revisit later in your design project.
Optional Trips to Support this Project
You might want to organise a field trip with your students, to visit a local theatre or
production site where sets and costumes are made. The Royal Opera House’s sets and
costumes are made at High House Production Park. Click here to find out more.
Student Portfolio Checklist:
l Student’s notes about what they have learned about the Royal Opera House,
The Royal Ballet, Set Design and Costume Design
l Initial personal response and understanding of the Design Challenge project
l Letter from Kevin O’Hare, stuck in and annotated
Royal Opera House: Design Challenge 2018/19 (Secondary) 9

STAGE 1
DISCOVER THE PIECE
Use the activities in this section to explore the repertoire for this
year’s Design Challenge. Your students will visually respond to
the music, learn about the story and research relevant artists.
ACTIVITY 2: Draw to Music
Choose a piece of music from Romeo and
Juliet. Click here. With a drawing pencil and
paper, ask the students to respond to the
music on the page. Their response should be
abstract, not figurative. Where is their starting
point? How do their pencil strokes change?
Why? After a couple of minutes, stop the
music and ask:
l How did the music make them feel? What
could be happening? Ask them to talk about
the marks they have made on their paper. Pick
a few to share, and then ask them to discuss
what they have produced in pairs.
They can work straight into their portfolio and
can add annotations if they choose to. Now
that they understand the concept of visually
responding to the music, repeat the exercise
with one or two more clips. You might wish to
do this with a piece of music from each act of
the piece. Students continue to make marks
with chalk, paint, crayons, charcoal, pencils.
Keep reminding them that their work doesn’t
need to be neat or pretty. Whatever media
they are using, they need to stay true to the
music.
ACTIVITY 3: Discussing the
themes of Romeo and Juliet
Give out the synopsis of Macmillan’s Romeo
and Juliet and ask the students to discuss
in groups what they think the themes of the
story are? Which of the themes do they most
relate to? Why? If you have time, you might
want to lead a visual response to some of
these themes in their portfolio.
Minimum suggested time: 90 minutes
Royal Opera House: Design Challenge 2018/19 (Secondary)
11

RESOURCE: Romeo and Juliet Synopsis
ACT I
Scene 1: The market place
Romeo, son of Montague, tries unsuccessfully to
declare his love for Rosaline and is consoled by his
friends Mercutio and Benvolio. As day breaks and
the townspeople meet in the market place, a quarrel
develops between Tybalt, a nephew of Capulet, and
Romeo and his friends. The Capulets and Montagues
are sworn enemies and a fight soon begins. The
Lords Montague and Capulet join in the fray, which is
stopped by the appearance of the Prince of Verona,
who commands the families to end their feud.
Scene 2: Juliet’s ante-room in the Capulets’ house
Juliet, playing with her nurse, is interrupted by her
parents, Lord and Lady Capulet. They present her to
Paris, a wealthy young nobleman who has asked for
her hand in marriage.
Scene 3: Outside the Capulets’ house
Guests arrive for a ball at the Capulets’ house.
Romeo, Mercutio and Benvolio, disguised in masks,
decide to go in pursuit of Rosaline.
Scene 4: The ballroom
Romeo and his friends arrive at the height of the
festivities. The guests watch Juliet dance. Mercutio,
seeing that Romeo is entranced by her, dances
to distract attention from him. Tybalt recognizes
Romeo and orders him to leave, but Capulet
intervenes and welcomes him as a guest in his
house.
Scene 5: Outside the Capulets’ house
As the guests leave the ball, Capulet restrains Tybalt
from pursuing Romeo.
Scene 6: Juliet’s balcony
Unable to sleep, Juliet comes out on to her balcony
and is thinking of Romeo when suddenly he appears
in the garden. They confess their love for each other.
ACT II
Scene 1: The market place
Romeo can think only of Juliet, and, as a wedding
procession passes, he dreams of the day when he
will marry her. In the meantime, Juliet’s nurse pushes
her way through the crowds in search of Romeo to
give him a letter from Juliet. He reads that Juliet has
consented to be his wife.
Scene 2: The chapel
The lovers are secretly married by Friar Laurence,
who hopes that their union will end the strife
between the Montagues and Capulets.
Scene 3: The market place
Interrupting the revelry, Tybalt fights with Mercutio
and kills him. Romeo avenges the death of his friend
and is exiled.
ACT III
Scene 1: The bedroom
At dawn next morning the household is stirring and
Romeo must go. He embraces Juliet and leaves as
her parents enter with Paris. Juliet refuses to marry
Paris and, hurt by her rebuff, he goes off. Juliet’s
parents are angry and threaten to disown her. Juliet
rushes to see Friar Laurence.
Scene 2: The chapel
Juliet falls at the Friar’s feet and begs for his help. He
gives her a phial of potion which will make her fall
into a deathlike sleep. Her parents, believing her to
be dead, will bury her in the family tomb. Meanwhile
Romeo, warned by Friar Laurence, will return under
cover of darkness and take her away from Verona.
Scene 3: The bedroom
That evening Juliet agrees to marry Paris; but the
next morning when her parents arrive with him they
find her apparently lifeless on the bed.
Scene 4: The Capulet family crypt
Romeo, who has not received the Friar’s message,
returns to Verona stunned by grief at the news of
Juliet’s death. Disguised as a monk, he enters the
crypt, and finding Paris by Juliet’s body, kills him.
Believing Juliet to be dead, Romeo drinks a phial
of poison. Juliet awakes and, finding Romeo dead,
stabs herself.
ACTIVITY 4: Artist Research
Select art books that focus on artists who
were/are working from the following periods:
1 During the period the piece was written
and broadly from the same continent
or country
2 At the time and/or place that the piece
is set is different from above
3 A contemporary artist working today
who might have parallels or give insights
to the themes of the piece
Allow students time to look through these
books, quickly sketching images which interest
them. There should be enough books so that a
minimum of 4 students can look at one book
at the same time. Encourage students to focus
on small or specific details; the cuff of a dress,
the composition of a painting, the brushwork
or technique itself etc. These sketches should
be annotated to assist analysis later on. After
10 minutes, ring a bell and ask every student
Top Tips: How to
Discover More
About the Piece
As well as hearing the music and
understanding the story, your students
should extend their research to:
l Choreography
l Composer
l Period
l Relevant Artists
l Other Productions of
Romeo and Juliet
to swop to a different book and peiod.
The students should collect a couple of
sketches from each category.
The sketches should be a springboard for
discussion surrounding the issues of:
l How to choose what to research next
l For initial design ideas, taking
inspiration from other artists
l For insight into how we look
through different lenses of history
This kind of research can lead students into
new territory and is particularly effective
at the beginning of the research phase or if
someone has become stuck. The trick is to
look for detail which interests visually, without
overthinking it in the moment. Some ideas
will not be of direct use but there may
be a small kernel of an idea which forms
as a result.
Portfolio checklist:
l At least one drawing response
to music
l Evidence of research from
a range of sources including
sketches and notes
Reflection Questions:
l What have you learned about
using music to inspire design?
l What parts of your research have
inspired you so far?
l Is here anything you have learned
that has surprised you?
KENNETH MACMILLAN
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Royal Opera House: Design Challenge 2018/19 (Secondary)
Royal Opera House: Design Challenge 2018/19 (Secondary) 13

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
An Introduction to Romeo and Juliet
(The Royal Ballet)
This video takes a closer look at some of
the characters in Romeo and Juliet, showing
rehearsal footage and interviews with the
dancers. Although there is some footage from
the production, remind your students that
they will be re-imagining the ballet in this
project, not copying the original designs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJwA2idPqnY&t=40s
How Kenneth Macmillan turned Romeo
and Juliet into a Ballet (The Royal Ballet)
This video explores how the relationship
between Romeo and Juliet develops over the
course of the ballet, by taking a closer look at
each pas de deux. Remind the students that
the costumes and sets that they will design
will need to reflect the narrative, the emotions
and the tensions of the piece.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ2g5NXq0QI
Dance Costume Design (The V&A)
This article takes a look at the different types
of costumes designed and made for dance,
using the V&A’s collections.
http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/d/dance-costume-design/
Royal Opera House: Design Challenge 2018/19 (Secondary) 15

Minimum suggested time: 180 minutes
RECAP:
Ensure the students have read the Romeo and
Juliet synopsis.
ACTIVITY 5: Storyboarding
It is important to storyboard the ballet
because this will turn the written story into a
visual story. It will also get the students used
to exerting their role as a Designer to the
ballet’s narrative.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rvhz0lPQKAU
Show your students the ‘How To Create a
Storyboard’ (click above) film and explain
to them that a storyboard tells the story
visually, scene by scene, and is an important
step in the process of designing sets and
costumes. It is really helpful for designers
to have recorded the story of the opera or
ballet they are designing for, so that
they can keep referring back to the scenes
as their designs develop.
STAGE 2
INTERPRET THE STORY
Drawing on their initial response to the ballet, students will produce a visual storyboard of the piece.
They will explore the Director’s Visions and create a moodboard in response to at least one.
Royal Opera House: Design Challenge 2018/19 (Secondary) 17

RESOURCE: Director’s Visions
Once your students have created the storyboard, you can introduce the Director’s Visions.
The Director’s Visions are a key element of Design Challenge and demonstrate the intrinsic
relationship between a Designer and a Director. The Director will have a strong feeling of how
they want to stage the piece and the themes that they want to focus on. Choose 1 of the 4
Director’s Visions below which will help to focus your design ideas:
REMEMBER: Your Set and Costume designs should…
...be another protagonist within the story, not remaining in the background as something merely
aesthetic but enabling, enhancing and facilitating the story. The set provides the space in which
the story unfolds, the distances and hiding places where the characters make their choices.
The costumes reflect the characters personalities, their history, their secrets. Remember that
visual aids help us understand psychological situations and changes; in which case the sets and
costumes are the most important visual aids we have. Every detail of the set and costume should
be there for a reason, to aid the story. Often, less can be more. Giving room to imagination is a
gift to the audience and keeps them involved as the story unfolds.
ACTIVITY 6: Create a moodboard
Using the Director’s Visions, your students will create
at least one mood board as a starting point for their
designs. Show your students the ‘How to Create a
Moodboard’. You may wish to ask the students to
create a moodboard for 3 or 4 of the Director’s Visions
if you have more time to spend on this, but otherwise
they should choose the Director’s Vision that they have
the best initial ideas for.
Vision 1
Romeo and Juliet’s love was doomed from
the start. They didn’t stand a chance. I’d like
to explore this concept through design –
without feeling the need to limit the story to
its original period. How can we demonstrate
that the parents, and society, were always
in control? How can the futility of their
attempts to be together be demonstrated?
Vision 2
Romeo and Juliet is ultimately a story of
young lovers. I want to make a production
that is geared specifically at an audience of
young teenagers today. I want to prove that
ballet is not an outdated art form, but one
that is current and vibrant and a powerful
medium for conveying twenty-first century
dilemmas. Forbidden love is not uncommon
to young people today. I’m interested in
why Juliet’s family may have objected to her
chosen love in a way that young audiences
today would understand. Where can this
story be set? Why are these two families so
determined to keep the young lovers apart?
Where do we see examples of this today
and how can we depict that on stage so
that young audiences will relate to it in an
immediate way?
Vision 3
The story of Romeo and Juliet is a story
of beauty found amidst ugliness. The beauty
of pure love that blossoms in a hostile,
unforgiving environment. I would like the
design of the ballet to depict this. At times
it may feel as though the beauty of true love
will overcome, but ultimately it isn’t enough
and the harshness and cruelty of
their world triumphs.
Vision 4
Everyone knows that the story of Romeo
and Juliet is set in a very particular place
and time. We don’t need to take them out of
that time in order for the story to resonate
with audiences today. Let’s be true to
Shakespeare’s original telling of the story,
but not in a bland, generic way. How can we
make medieval Verona come to life on stage
in a way that perfectly captures one of the
greatest love stories of all time?
Top Tips:
l Brainstorm and discuss what the
Director’s Visions mean to you
l Consider materials, textures and colour
l Be a magpie – your inspiration may
come from the places you least expect
l Revisit your drawings to music –
how can you translate these into
your moodboard?
l Include photographs and your
own drawings
Resources:
Your students will need access to a range
of artistic media; paper in a range of
colours and textures, paints, charcoal,
water colours, fabrics, pens and pencils,
glue, string.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jTlJ6vzECc
The moodboards can use images, paints, pens, pencils, materials such as foil, cloth, ribbons –
It doesn’t need to be neat and textures should be explored It’s important that the students also
add their own sketches.
Portfolio checklist:
l Storyboard of Romeo and Juliet
l Notes on your Director’s Vision
and your reasons for choosing it
l At least one moodboard relating
to your chosen Director’s Vision
Reflection Questions:
l Why have you chosen your
Director’s Visions?
l What have you learned about the
relationship between a Director
and a Designer?
l After choosing the vision, what are
you most excited about for the next
steps of the process?
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Royal Opera House: Design Challenge 2018/19 (Secondary)
Royal Opera House: Design Challenge 2018/19 (Secondary) 19

STAGE 3
EXPLORE THE WORLD
Minimum suggested time: 60 minutes
Students will use the Director’s Vision to reimagine the world of the ballet. They will quickly
generate ideas for sets or costumes through quick sketches, modelling, rendering and draping.
ACTIVITY 7: 10 Minutes to
Sketch the Vision
At this stage your students will have chosen
Director’s Vision and made a moodboard of
it. Use this activity to quickly generate rough
ideas at the start of the lesson, using the
chosen Director’s Vision as inspiration:
l Set Design: Give the students 9 minutes
to sketch 1 scene from each act
(3 minutes per scene).
l Costume Design: Ask the students to
choose 1 act and give them 9 minutes
to sketch 3 characters’ costumes
Once the time is up, ask your students to
discuss their sketches with a partner, who
should ask them questions about how they’ve
used the vision and identify the stronger and
weaker parts of their designs. You can repeat
this exercise several times if you have time.
Royal Opera House: Design Challenge 2018/19 (Secondary)
21

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEcewt2tQ5w
SET DESIGN ACTIVITY 8A:
Working in 3D
Show your students the ‘How to Create a 3D
Model’ video. Click above
From the previous activity, your students are
now going to choose one scene to create in
3D in a model box. They need to consider
the Director’s Vision and the peer feedback
and they can only use card and paper with
masking tape or blue tack to secure their
designs. You might want to omit the use of
scissors as the models don’t need to be neat.
They need to work quickly and problem solve
as they go- how can they make their set stand
up? Can the set be seen by the audience? How
can they change the levels? Is there too much
on the stage? Too little? Give the students no
more than 5 minutes to create their scene,
and make sure they take a photograph to
stick in their portfolio. Your students should
repeat this activity several time in class or for
homework, documenting their designs with
photographs and annotating them in their
portfolios, as they will need to revisit this in
their next session.
COSTUME DESIGN ACTIVITY
8B: Creating a character
Ideally you will have a mannequin or a quarter
mannequin for this exercise.
From the previous activity, your students are
now going to choose one costume to roughly
create on a mannequin. They need to consider
the Director’s Vision and peer feedback and
they can only use newspaper, scissors, pins,
Sellotape or masking tape. They will need to
work quickly and problem solve as they gohow
can they communicate the character they
are designing for? What does the style say
about the period? The character’s story? Think
about the Director’s Vision and what it means
for the character and their costume. Give the
students no more than 5 minutes to create
their paper costume and make sure they take
a photograph to stick in their portfolio. Your
students should repeat this activity several
time in class or for homework, documenting
their designs with photographs and
annotating them in their portfolios, as they
will need to revisit this in their next session.
Portfolio checklist:
l 3 initial sketches of costumes
or settings
l At least 3 photographs of your
rough 3D models or costumes
l Additional notations about what
worked well and what you would
change for next time
Reflection Questions:
l What were the challenges of
transforming your ideas
from 2D to 3D?
l How able did you feel to shape
and develop your ideas in 3D?
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Royal Opera House: Design Challenge 2018/19 (Secondary)

STAGE 4
PLAY WITH IDEAS
Reflecting on the designs in
their portfolio so far, students
will develop their ideas using
the SCAMPER methodology,
considering the practical elements
of set and costume design.
ACTIVITY 9: 5 Minute peer to peer reflection
Ask your students to find a partner and to reflect on their designs and processes from the ‘Explore
the World’ stage. They should each explain their concept and how it links to the Director’s Vision.
Their partner should then feed back, suggesting ‘What Went Well’ and ‘Even Better If.’
ACTIVITY 10: SCAMPER
The ‘Play with Ideas’ stage should see students producing plenty of different ideas and adaptations
before settling on one to pursue. Reminding your students of the brief, encourage them to revisit
their ideas, their moodboards and responses to music to design for three scenes or three characters,
working through the SCAMPER methodology to push and challenge them.
Choose a SCAMPER method
Play with the idea using…
S
SUBSTITUTE:
What could be used instead?
Concept and processes, material,
colour, texture, shape etc…
C
COMBINE:
What can be added?
Techniques, materials, colour,
texture, shape, themes, layering
concepts etc…
A
ADAPT:
How can it be adjusted to suit a
condition or purpose?
Tools/utensils, process, space,
colours etc…
M
MODIFY/MAGNIFY/MINIMISE:
How can it be changed?
Exaggerated, higher, bigger, stronger,
increase frequency, duplicate, reduce,
smaller, distort etc…
P
E
PUT TO OTHER USES:
What else can it be used for other
than the original purpose?
ELIMINATE:
What can be removed or taken
away from it?
Objects, media, materials,
concept etc…
Simplify, remove parts, cut away,
part of etc…
R
REVERSE/REARRANGE:
How can it be turned around or
placed opposite its original position?
Process, interchange materials,
transpose positive and negative,
turn it around, backwards…
Minimum suggested time: 120 minutes
Royal Opera House: Design Challenge 2018/19 (Secondary)
25

Activity 11: Making it Practical
One of the criteria in the design brief is that the students’ designs are practical for use on the
stage. For set designs, the dancers need to have space to perform, as well as enter and exit
into the wings. The designs must be in the correct scale to be believable. The audience should
be able to see everything that they are supposed to see. For costumes and garments, the
dancer needs to be considered- can they move in the costume? Is it heavy? Is it suitable, are
they covered in the places they should be? Watch the set or costume film below and ask your
students to write down all of the practical elements that they need to consider in the next steps
of designing their set or costume.
SET DESIGN RESOURCE:
Using Scale
Encourage the students to revisit their designs,
ensuring that the scale of their set is correct for their
model box.
COSTUME DESIGN RESOURCE:
Costume Practicality
Encourage students to consider what the dancers
need to do on stage, the agility of fabric, weight,
heat, hazards. Ask them to revisit their designs and
to develop them, considering their practicality for the
ballet. You could lead on from this by asking students
to research why Designers need to make a toile/muslin
or a white card model, to prepare them for the next
stage of the design process.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXpW85N3IbI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=97&v=zAgWwBM5cIw
Top Tips:
l Don’t play it safe- the best ideas come
when you try things out!
l Go back to listening to the music and
revisit your moodboard
l Keep the Director’s Vision close to you
at all time. If your designs aren’t
suitable for the Vision you have chosen,
then they won’t work for your Director
and you haven’t answered the brief.
l Consider textures colours,
patterns, symbols
Portfolio checklist:
l By the end of this stage the students
will have designs for 3 characters or
3 scenes
l Plenty of evidence of experimentation
with the SCAMPER methodology. This
could be presented through drawings,
scraps of materials and different
fabrics and photographs
l Annotations on designs relating to
what worked and what didn’t, as well
as the practical elements of making
the designs workable for the stage
Reflection Questions:
l How much did your initial idea change during this stage?
l How difficult has it been to make your ideas practical and fit for purpose?
l What has helped with solving problems that have arisen?
Royal Opera House: Design Challenge 2018/19 (Secondary) 27

STAGE 5
SELECT AND REFINE
Students will finalize their designs through
making a toile or white card model. They will
problem solve, critique and justify their design
choices using the success criteria.
At this stage, students will finalize their designs through making and finding creative solutions,
they will focus on the practical application and functionality of their ideas. They will do this by
creating a toile (costume design strand) or a white card model (set design strand).
Costume Design Activity:
Making a Toile
Once the student has decided and finalized their
design they will need to make a toile (sometimes
referred to as a muslin) to test and demonstrate
the practicalities of the design, the fit, the
construction and the details and proportion of
the garment.
A toile is an initial mock-up of a garment made in
cheap fabric, to check and alter how the pattern
fits the body before cutting into the nice fabric.
The toile will then serve as the blue print for
construction of the final garment.
Set Design Activity:
Making a White Card Model
Once the student has decided and finalized
their design they will need to make a white card
model to test and demonstrate how they the
design works on stage.
A white card model is made once the design
has been finalized, it can be seen as a threedimensional
‘blueprint’ of the intended design.
Remember: Students can produce a full, half or
quarter size costume or a costume element. The
toile will reflect what the students have chosen
to construct as their final piece.
Top Tips:
l Students should give and document reasons (in their portfolios) for the choices they
are making when problem solving
l You can extend this exercise by asking students to present their toiles / white card
models to a group of peers who can critique functionality, mirroring this stage in the
real design process
l You may wish to introduce a learning plan template for your students to record this
process in, which can be stuck into their portfolios with photographs of their
toile / white card model
Minimum suggested time: 120 minutes
Royal Opera House: Design Challenge 2018/19 (Secondary) 29

Activity 12: Success Criteria
Re-cap the success criteria for the Design Challenge final piece, using the letters from
Kevin O’Hare.
Set Design:
l Practicality: good use of space, with
enough room for the dancers to perform
l Appropriate mood using the
Director’s Vision
l The design tells a story
l Correct use of scale
l The design works as a concept with
your designs for the other two scenes
l The design is creative
Costume Design:
l Practicality: the dancer would be able
to perform in the costume
l The costume or garment is believable
and relevant for the character
l The design tells a story
l Good experimentation and justification
of fabrics and colours
l The design works as a concept with your
designs for the other two characters
l The design is creative
Portfolio checklist:
l Photograph of toile or white
card model
l Notes on what worked well and
what you have learnt from practicing
with a toile/white card model
l A plan for the construction of the
final piece, including the materials
and tools that you will use
Reflection Questions:
l How helpful have you found the
toile/white card model process?
l How prepared do you now feel to
successfully make your final piece?
l How confident are you that your
design meets the brief and why?
30
Royal Opera House: Design Challenge 2018/19 (Secondary)

ACTIVITY 13: Set Expectations and Prepare
It’s now time for your students to make their final costume/garment or model box. Support students
in organising all of the equipment and materials they need for their exam. Introduce your students
to this list of expectations for the final piece from the Royal Opera House. You should add the
requirements of your specific qualification and awarding body to this list- these however will not be
considered by the Royal Opera House at judging stage.
l Produce either a full or quarter size costume, or a section of a costume like a sleeve,
headdress, accessory or cuff for a character in Kenneth Macmillan’s Romeo and Juliet.
or
l Produce a model box in the scale 1:50, 1:75 or 1:100 for one scene in Kenneth Macmillan’s
Romeo and Juliet.
STAGE 6
MAKE IT HAPPEN
Students will produce their final model box or costume piece.
Top Tips for Making:
l Make sure you have all of the materials and tools that you need.
l Have your production plan and material and equipment checklist with you
and set yourself a time plan
l Be a perfectionist
l Teachers should add their own tips and expectations for their setting and course
Final Outcome
At the end of the ‘Make it Happen’ stage, every student should have a portfolio that coherently
progresses through the six stage of design, and a completed final piece that is a logical progression
from their design journey.
Celebrating the Students’ Success
It’s a good idea to have a celebratory sharing event in school for the students who have completed
the project, such as an exhibition of their work or an assembly with their peers and parents. You may
also wish to round the project off with a trip, such as:
If you are delivering Design Challenge in a module
that has a 5 or 10-hour exam at the end, you should
use this time for the final making.
l Visit the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden or the Production Site in Thurrock
for a Backstage Tour
l Visit the Royal Opera House to watch the Schools Matinee of Romeo and Juliet,
or an alternative ballet or opera
l Watch a Royal Opera House performance in the cinema
Suggested time: 5-10 hour exam time
Royal Opera House: Design Challenge 2018/19 (Secondary)
33

RESOURCE:
Design Challenge
Judging Form
RESOURCE: Judging Form
School / College Name: Judging Date: Judge Names:
After completing the final product, students
will submit their product and portfolio to their
school or college first for internal shortlisting.
Use the Judging Form to mark your students’
work, placing 60% of emphasis on the portfolio
and 40% on the final piece. Mark each student
out of 3 for each of the 4 criteria, to give them
a total mark out of 12.
Watch this film to get advice from the judges
on how to judge an entry.
Area
Set
Design
or
Costume
Design
Student
Name
Director’s
Vision
Number
Supporting
evidence
demonstrating
thoughts
and
process
Criteria – Score out of 3
(0 = no evidence / 1 = weak /
2 = competent / 3 =strong)
Please note you can use
half marks here, e.g. 1.5
Creativity
and
imagination
in
designs
Practicality/
fit for
purpose in
final design
Interpretation
of
Directors
Vision
Comments
Shortlisted
as finalist?
Yes / No
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veZkLa0_BX8
Supporting evidence demonstrating process:
Is their design journey clear? Have they thoroughly researched the themes?
Creativity and imagination in designs:
Have they explored elements of the brief creatively? Is their work unique and exciting?
Practicality/fit for purpose:
Would their design work on the Royal Opera House stage? Would the audience be able
to see the action and believe the design? Is the design suitable and functional for
characters / movement /access?
Interpretation of Director’s Vision:
Have they showed a clear response and interpretation of the Director’s Vision?
Is this clear in both their portfolio and their final design?
34
Royal Opera House: Design Challenge 2018/19 (Secondary)
Royal Opera House: Design Challenge 2018/19 (Secondary)
35

Submitting Finalists Entries
Once you have marked all of your students’ work and highlighted those with the highest scores,
you will be able to identify who your finalist(s) are by using the following ratio as a guide:
Project Summary
The Design Journey: Stages 1-6
l 1-20 entries = 1 Finalist
l 21-40 entries = 2 Finalists
l 41-60 entries = 3 Finalists
For example, if you have 30 students who take part
in the Costume Design challenge and 14 who took
part in the Set Design challenge, you would select 2
finalists for Costume and 1 finalist for Set.
Introduction
STAGE 1:
Discover
the piece
STAGE 2:
Interpret
the story
STAGE 3:
Explore
the world
STAGE 4:
Play
with ideas
STAGE 5:
Select
and refine
STAGE 6:
Make it
happen
Submission Checklist
Submissions open on Monday 7 January and close on Thursday 14 February at 6pm. For each of
your finalists, you will need to submit:
l 3 photos of the student’s completed final design
l A 90 second video of the student presenting their portfolio and design process
l College judging notes about the entry and why they are your chosen finalist
You will be sent instructions for how to use the submission portal at the end of the autumn term.
Examples: Photos, 90 second video and judges form
Welcome
to Design
Challenge
Introduction
to the Royal
Opera House,
The Royal
Ballet and
the Design
Challenge
project.
The Design
Challenge
Brief- Set
and Costume
Students
receive a
letter from
Director of
The Royal
Ballet Kevin
O’Hare,
setting the
challenge
and the Set
and Costume
Design Briefs.
The Role of
the Designer
Exploring the
role of the Set
and Costume
Designer,
considering
also their
relationship
with the
Director.
Drawing
to Music
Students listen
to music from
the ballet
to use as a
stimulus for
responding
to music as a
Designer.
The Story
Student
discuss and
respond to
the themes
of Romeo
and Juliet in
groups.
Repertoire
Research
Students
carry out
independent
research about
the ROH, The
Royal Ballet
and Romeo
and Juliet.
Artist
Research
Focusing on
relevant artists,
students carry
out research,
collect images
and produce
sketches.
Storyboarding
Students
storyboard
the scenes
in each act
of the ballet,
highlighting
potential key
moments for
design.
Director’s
Visions
Students are
introduced to
4 Director’s
Visions, 1 of
which they
will choose
to base their
designs on.
Moodboards
To further
develop ideas,
students
produce at
least one
moodboard
to reflect their
interpretation
of the
Director’s
Vision.
Sketch
the Vision
Quick idea
generation in
sketch format
for Set and
Costume
designs.
Working
in 3D
Set Design
students
reproduce
sketches
in 3D and
document
these with
photographs
and
annotations.
Creating a
Character
Costume
Design
students start
to experiment
with
materials,
textures
and colours
in rough,
documenting
ideas with
photographs
and
annotations.
SCAMPER
Use the
Substitute,
Combine,
Adapt,
Modify, Put
to other use,
Eliminate,
Rearrange
methodology
to produce
plenty of
ideas and
adaptations.
Making it
Practical
Discuss the
elements of
the designs
that make
them fit for
purpose.
Further
experiment
with
materials,
structure,
layout.
Using Scale
Set Design
pathway
students
will test and
adapt the
scale of their
models.
Planning for
making
Students
refining their
work by
exploring
and selecting
materials,
techniques
and
processes.
Students test
construction
methods.
They give
reasons
for their
choices they
make when
problem
solving.
Making
a toile
Costume
pathway
students
make a toile.
Making a
white card
model
Set pathway
students
make a white
card model.
Preparations
Expectations
are recapped
and tools and
resources are
prepared.
Final Making
Students
produce a
final design
that is
practical, fit
for purpose
and is a logical
progression
from the
supporting
evidence and
thoughts
demonstrated
throughout
the process.
Reflections
and
Celebrations
Students are
given the
chance to
reflect on
their process.
An exhibition
is advised
to celebrate
their
achievements
in the project.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrXgnLlZxus
School / College Name:
Exeter College
Judging Date:
18/01/2018
Judge Names:
N Krishnasamy, N Watts, S Bray
Suggested opportunities for enrichment: At any stage of the project, you might choose
to take your students on a trip to further enhance the experience. We suggest:
Area
Set
Design
Student
Name
Christopher
Childs
Director’s
Vision
Number
Criteria – Score out of 3
(0 = no evidence / 1 = weak /
2 = competent / 3 =strong)
1 3 3 3 3
Comments
A sensitive response to the
director’s vision using appropriate
materials. Excellent and intelligent
research support a design which is
both versatile and simple, creating
depth and space with simple and
practical visual language
Shortlisted
as finalist?
Yes / No
Yes
l Royal Opera House Backstage Tour (High House Production Park)
l V&A Perform Gallery Visit
l Royal Opera House Schools Matinee
l Visiting your local theatre to meet designers and makers
l Visiting a relevant art exhibition
36
Royal Opera House: Design Challenge 2018/19 (Secondary)
Royal Opera House: Design Challenge 2018/19 (Secondary) 37

Activity Index
Activity 1: The Role of the Designer................................................................... Page 9
Activity 2: Draw to music....................................................................................... Page 11
Activity 3: Discussing the themes of Romeo and Juliet................................. Page 11
Activity 4: Artist research...................................................................................... Page 13
Activity 5: Storyboarding...................................................................................... Page 17
Activity 6: Create a moodboard........................................................................... Page 19
Activity 7: Ten minutes to sketch the vision..................................................... Page 21
Activity 8A: Set Design - working in 3D................................................................ Page 22
Actvity 8B: Costume Design - creating a character.......................................... Page 22
Activity 9: Five minutes peer to peer reflection.............................................. Page 25
Activity 10: SCAMPER.............................................................................................. Page 25
Activity 11: Making it practical............................................................................... Page 27
Activity 12: Success criteria.................................................................................... Page 31
Activity 13: expectation and preparations.......................................................... Page 33
Credits
Cover, pages 16, 21 & 23: Photo by Belinda Lawley
Page 7: Auditorium Photo: © ROH/Sim Canetty-Clarke, 2012
Artists of The Royal Ballet in Swan Lake: © ROH/Bill Cooper 2018
Page 8: (from top left to right)
Marianela Nuñez and Artists of The Royal Ballet in Diana and Actaeon
Metamorphosis: Titian 2012 © ROH/Johan Persson, 2012
Edward Watson as Gregor Samsa in The Metamorphosis © ROH/Tristram Kenton, 2011
Alexander Campbell as The White Rabbit and Anna Rose O’Sullivan as Alice
in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland © ROH/Andrej Uspenski 2017
Artists of The Royal Ballet in Anastasia © ROH/Tristram Kenton 2016
Akane Takada as Titania in The Dream © ROH/Tristram Kenton 2017
Kenta Kura as Mr Jeremy Fisher in Tales of Beatrix Potter © ROH/Bill Cooper, 2010
Tristan Dyer as Victor Frankenstein and Nehemiah Kish as
The Creature in Frankentstein © ROH/Bill Cooper 2016
Artists of The Royal Ballet in Connectome © ROH/Bill Cooper 2015
Artists of The Royal Ballet in Meta © ROH/Helen Maybanks 2016
Artists of The Royal Ballet in Don Quixote © ROH/Johan Persson, 2013
Yuhui Choe in Scènes de Ballet © ROH/Tristram Kenton, 2014
Artists of The Royal Ballet in Swan Lake © ROH/Bill Cooper 2018.
Yasmine Nagdhi and Matthew Ball in The Sleeping Beauty © ROH/Bill Cooper 2017
Thiago Soares as Lige Hightower in The Wind © ROH/Tristram Kenton 2017
Artists of The Royal Ballet in Yugen © ROH/Andrej Uspenski 2018.
Artists of The Royal Ballet in Swan Lake © ROH 2018. Photograph by Bill Cooper.
Thomas Whitehead as Von Rothbart in Swan Lake © ROH/Bill Cooper 2018
Artists of The Royal Ballet in The Winter’s Tale © ROH/Tristram Kenton 2018
Elizabeth McGorian as Cynthia (Wild Woman) in The Wind © ROH/Tristram Kenton 2017
Pages 10, 11, 14 & 39: Federico Bonelli as Romeo and Lauren Cuthbertson as Juliet
and artists of The Royal Ballet in Romeo and Juliet © ROH/Bill Cooper, 2012
Back cover: Photo by Rachel Cherry
Resource booklet: Design & Art Direction by Paul Marc Mitchell
38
Royal Opera House: Design Challenge 2018/19 (Secondary)

www.roh.org.uk/learningplatform
Design Challenge is generously
supported by the Paul Hamlyn
Education Fund and the Mohn
Westlake Foundation.